#RootsInnovate2017
September 25th - 26th

Chefs and restauranteurs will discuss the innovative ways they are navigating the complicated issues relating to the logistics that every restaurant owner must handle to run a successful business. Panelists will offer tangible plans for tackling these issues and lay out real world ways they solved problems relating to them.

The Road Less Traveled: Inventive Ways Chefs Are Diversifying Their Careers

There is so much more to being a chef than working the line and in recent years, there are more options than ever to leverage your experience, expertise, talent and connections. This panel will discuss the innovative and exciting ways chefs are diversifying their careers to establish new revenue streams, make a lasting difference in the food world and keep their careers interesting and fulfilling. They will offer ideas and suggestions for how to diversify your own career and get things moving in myriad directions to keep work fun, enriching, financially viable.

Fine Casual: What to Retain and What to Discard to Maintain an Elevated Dining Experience In a More Relaxed Environment

As the fast casual dining experience continues to be a “growth darling” of the industry, the belief has been that diners appreciate the speed of service, ideal for busy lifestyles. While that idea has merit, here’s what gets overlooked: how the casual atmosphere is also a huge draw. Some fine dining restaurants are looking to transform their diners’ experiences, providing the relaxing atmosphere found in fast casual restaurants, while maintaining the focus on quality fine dining. Panelists will focus on what should be retained and what should be discarded during the transformation.

She Will Rise: The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Female Leader

Women face unique challenges in the food industry. This panel will explore the innovative ways our industry leaders are tackling the issues that arise when trying to juggle countless responsibilities both at work and at home. Panelists will share their own unique stories and offer methods that both genders can ensure that the women in our industry feel empowered and thriving.

Oh, Canada! Northern Culinary History and Innovation

Canada is the second largest nation in the world and has a dynamic and ever-changing food scene and yet Americans know little about it. Canada's premier chefs and food innovators will discuss the history and evolution of Canada's culinary industry. Panelists will showcase contemporary innovation happening in Canada's food scene and identify new trends on the horizon that are affecting the flourishing restaurant scene of our northern neighbor.

Neurogastronomy: The Science of Flavor

Food scientists are at the forefront of our understanding of the science behind flavors. This panel will be comprised of industry experts studying neurogastronomy. They will break flavor down into its parts, explaining step by step the science behind what we taste and experience when we bite into an ingredient. Panelists will provide insight into how ingredients can be successfully paired when we understand the science behind the flavor.

The Art of the Meal: Ingenious New Plating Ideas

This panel will be comprised of some of the world's most innovative chefs who will showcase the evolution of their plating techniques, discuss what they think about when building out a dish, and share insights into what keeps their plating techniques at the forefront of the industry. Panelists will offer tangible ways to improve your own plating techniques and demonstrate their most successful and beautiful techniques.

Food as Medicine: Healing Yourself One Bite at a Time

Food is more than nourishment. In many cultures, food is viewed as medicine, a way to heal yourself and to prevent future illnesses. This panel will discuss the ancient ways food has been used as medicine and offer contemporary ways to introduce the food as medicine concept to your own menus. Panelists will provide tangible ways to use food as a healing device and examples for how to share its medicinal power with your guests.

To maintain a viable business, every person involved in the day to day operations of it should be rewarded and feel secure and valued. This panel will explore ways industry experts ensure the happiness and well-being of every member of their workforce. Panelists will offer usable ideas and methods to ensure company sustainability, one satisfied worker at a time.

Diaspora: The Influence of One Nation upon Another and How It Drives Innovation

For myriad reasons both positive and negative, the influence and imprint of one nation upon another's culinary history has been happening since the first days of human migration. This panel will explore the ways in which the culinary legacy of one nation has been shaped by another. Panelists will discuss the innovative ways chefs are using this melding of two food stories into one to shape their menus and celebrate our diverse but equally important food stories.

Drink Your Veggies: Fresh Ideas for Vegetable Beverages

Vegetables are taking center stage on plates throughout the food world but they're also finding their way into cocktails, beer and nonalcoholic beverages in creative ways never seen before. Panelists will explore ways in which the industry's leading bartenders and beverage experts are introducing vegetables to their drinkable creations and demonstrate how you can do it in your own establishment.